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It Happened In Wisconsin (2013)

by Ken Moraff(Favorite Author)

3.12 of 5 Votes: 2

ISBN

1477848185 (ISBN13: 9781477848180)

languge

English

genre

Historical Fiction

publisher

Lake Union Publishing

review 1: Ken Moraff has written the quintessential book of reflection. In IT HAPPENED IN WISCONSIN an old man living in a rest home spends most of time thinking about the past and remembering his days as a barnstorming baseball player. Memories pop up, painting vivid pictures that lead to more that are mostly about idealism and camaraderie with a little baseball thrown in. He was part of a group of idealists who loved baseball and the chance to bring joy to other people. They clattered around the upper Midwest in an old bus, eating whatever they could afford, sleeping in dingy quarters, and playing ball in minicities like Kenosha or Wausau or Dubuque. They were popular, their games were eagerly awaited and well attended, and, after their meager living costs were recouped, the... morey gave the proceeds to the needy of the area.The unlikely part of the story, about a tight group of talented ballplayers who would sacrifice their younger years to such indolence in favor of high ideals, is handled in remarkable fashion by the author. He is able to convince the reader that such quixotic behavior could happen.The narrator, from his rest home haven, remembers it all with fondness. The author uses an interesting technique of having the old man ask his readers questions about his actions, his emotions, and his thoughts. What would you have done? You agree with that, don’t you? Could I have done that better? Those types of questions are numerous throughout the book and add an interesting perspective on the elder gentleman’s reflections. I found myself answering them and eagerly reading on to see if I had caught the point.Along with their love of the lifestyle, the players are deeply bonded by a disdain for capitalism, physically and vocally rejecting it. Their ties are strong. All attempts to split them up are doomed to failure. Romances that threaten to upset the brotherhood are discarded for the good of the team—bringing some regret in later years. A wealthy man tries to split them up with his glib tongue, beautiful daughter, and an enticing glimpse of life in the big leagues. The player that unwisely succumbs to his siren’s song meets with misfortune. The old man seems to luxuriate in his recollections, even finding the tenderness of his young nurse to be stimulating, bringing to his mind some of his earlier adventures with women. The writing is strong and well organized. The dialogue is realistic. The characters are well defined. The infrequent baseball scenes are carefully written and bring back fond memories, although I would have appreciated more depth here. Most of all, I appreciate Moraff’s use of polite language and discretion in his verbal exchanges. Seductions take three or four pages to be consummated, and, in the end, the act is portrayed by the unbuttoning of a couple of buttons or the tender exchange of a sigh. There is no unsightly ogling or obscene banter by the team members.I recommend this book as a gentle and pleasing read, full of reflection and musings that will introduce the reader to the careful workmanship and storytelling of a considerate author. Extremely well done.
review 2: No half stars allowed on Goodreads. That's probably okay since it forces a person to be critical when debating between a higher and lower score. The premise of this book, its price (free through my Amazon Prime account), and the beginning pages were enough to keep me reading. However, the end result was not as promising as the idea of this book.On the good side, the author did an amazing job writing about two people falling in love. This wasn't one of those relationships that built over time, but rather the kind of falling in love one of my friends refers to as "bag of rocks" (as in, "I fell for her like a bag of rocks."). The story bounced between times and events as told through the recollections of an old man. While the story focused on the narrator's relationship and the struggle the narrator felt between sacrificing his lifestyle for his one true love the book warranted a higher rating. However, while the story labored through the title event, the book slowed, the politics seemed heavy handed, and I struggled to maintain interest.I finished the book in a relatively short amount of time which is more a reflection of being on a plane for 5 hours than a indication of being unable to stop reading. All of the elements of a really good book were there, it just ended up being like a batch of cinnamon rolls with too much flour and not enough cinnamon sugar to be perfect. less

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